Review: Original

Vita Coco Cafe (formerly Coco Cafe) is a hybrid coconut water and coffee drink that is made with a blend of coconut water, milk, espresso, and sugar (the product also contains an emulsifier and natural flavors). From a flavor perspective, the original variety of Vita Coco Cafe drinks like a milky RTD coffee beverage, but with a subtle note of coconut water throughout. It is slightly thinner than a standard RTD coffee, which might also be the result of the added coconut water. To that end, the product feels like a coffee drink first and foremost, with the coconut water being something that provides add-on benefit (namely electrolytes for hydration). And, most importantly, it’s extremely pleasant to drink, especially if you find standard RTD coffee beverages inadequate. Functionally, the blend of caffeine and hydration seems like a good one -- and it’s something that hasn’t been tackled in the coconut water category until now. Packaging is an 11.1 oz. Tetra Pak carton with a Dreamcap, which fits very nicely with the rest of the Vita Coco lineup. Visually, the switch from Coco Cafe to Vita Coco Cafe was definitely something that we were a bit skeptical of. Gone are the anchor and original Coco Cafe logo. In their place, the company has added larger brown accent areas at the top and bottom of the package as well as a new logo that effectively marries the Coco Cafe logo with the Vita Coco logo. It works really well and definitely feels like an upgrade for the brand. Looking at it as part of the Vita Coco line, it’s obvious that it’s different, but also obvious that it’s part of the same family. Overall, we think that Vita Coco did Coco Cafe justice with how it morphed the brand into the line. The result is something that is still an exceptional product, whether you are looking at it through the lens of the coffee or coconut water categories.